Improvement in artificial stones



I06. co'nPosiilows, COATING 0R PLASTIC P T NT QFFICE.

UNITED STATES GEORGE L. EAGAN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO EIM- SELF AND W. H. VAN DOB-EN, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN ARTIFICIAL STONES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent- No. 125,552, dated April 9, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. EAGAN, of San Francisco, in the county of -San Francisco and State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Artiticial Stone; and I do hereby declare the following-to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The object. of this invention is to. produce for public use an improved artificial stone; and to this end the invention consists in the process of manufacturing the stone as hereinafter described, and in the stone produced by such process, asa new article of manufacture.

My improvedprocess is as follows, consisting, essentially, of three steps: First in the -ortler of manufacture, I prepare a liquid by boiling together three gallons of water; one pound of sail-soda, orits equivalent; one pound colo horwirasphaltum, or other bituminous maiier; and one ounce of litharie. I Iiese u is auces are to be boiled oget or about three hours, or until all are dissolved into one homogeneous mixture. A solution of silicate of soda or potash may be employed im water am sal-sota. Secondly, I thoroughly mix one part cement or water-lime with three parts sand. and moisten the same with the li nid Ii 'e scribed. "When the mass has con well bcatentoge er it is-molded in suitable molds and the result left To set'iintll sufficieutly dry for the next step in the process. Thirdly, 1 take the stones thus molded and by any suitable means I force through the material a solution of silicate of soda or otash care be in g taken to drive the silicate into the pores to every part of the stone. When sufficiently saturated the material is again allowed to dry, and is then ready for use. To color the blocks any i went may be mixed 'with the solution of silicate and forced into the material therewith.

The process thus consists, first, in a base of lime or cement and sand; secondly, in moist e um g the base witlithe ligpiiiabove described to prepare it for moldiiig; and, thirdly, after molding or forming into blocks, the forcing of the silicate into or through the blocks by pressure'btd'flier means which will drive it to every part thereof.

f; I ,g) So far as the rst two step of the process are concerned, I am aware that both lime or cement and sand have been for ages used in making artificial stone, cement, and plaster;

I do not, therefore, claim the exclusive right to use these elements in making such articles.

I am also aware that in some artificial stones heretofore manufactured sal soda has been used; in others, asphaltum; in others,litharge; and in others, silicate of soda or potash. 1 do not, therefore, claim the exclusive rightto use either of said substances in the manufacture of artificial stone, concrete, or cement; but the use of the lime or cement and sand in connection with the moistening liquid, as described, produces a very superior article upon which to perform the last operation of my process;

terial, or brick; but, from the experiments which Ii have made, none of them are believed to answer the purpose so well as the substance specially prepared by me as above described. The silicate permeates the entire mass, solidifying and indurating it so that it becomes impervious to moisture, incapable of being easily worn away by the elementmor other causes, and able to sustain great pressure and weight. While I prefer, therefore, to force my silicate into the prepared stone, as desbribed, I do not limit the forcingprocess to such prepared material, out claim to use it upon any material suitable therefor.

Disclaiming, therefore, the desire to inonopo lize any one of the ingredients referred. to in making artificial stone, and disclaimiug the mixing of the'silica-tes with the mass while it is in a plastic state, on the one hand, as well as the application of the silicate, to the surface of the hardened stone by a brush, or by Examine;

subjecting the stone to a hath not under pressthirdly, the drying of the same; and, fonrthly, are-- the complete saturation of the stone thus pre- 1 claim as my inventionthe following, viz. pared with silicates after it has been thus mold- The described process for manufacturing ed and dried,substantially as and for the purartiiioial stone, consisting of the following poses set forth.

steps- -viz., first, the preparation of a material GEORGE L. EAGAN. composed of lime or cement and sand, moistened with a. previously-prepared bituminous or Witnesses:

aspllaltic solution; secondly, the molding of L. B. ADAMS,

the .material thus prepared and moistened; WM. PRESCOTT. 

